Liquid dispensers



Se t. 21, 1965 B. F. KRAUTH LIQUID DISPENSERS Filed Jan. 3, 1964 O 0 0 aI I. A

ATTORNEY United States Patent LIQUID DISPENSERS Bernard FrederickKrauth, 80 London 'St., Chertsey, Surrey, England Filed Jan. 3, 1964,Ser. No. 335,600 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Nov. 21,1963,

2 Claims. (Cl. 15541) This invention relates to dispenser units for usewith squeeze bottles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a unit of the kindstated that is capable of dispensing, in a visual manner, droplets offluid onto a brush, pad, or the like, forming part of the dispenserunit.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a unit of the kindstated and in which the aperture through which the drops of fluid canescape includes a capillary section ensuring that only predeterminedsized droplets can be forced therefrom.

According to the present invention a dispenser unit for use with squeezebottles comprises a neck portion having a flanged base adapted to restupon the neck of the squeeze bottle, a recess in said neck portion inwhich is housed a brush, pad or like member extending from said recess,a liquid flow bore leading from the flanged end of the neck portion to apoint on the exterior surface of the neck portion spaced from saidbrush, pad, or the like such that when the bottle is squeezed, dropletsof liquid emerging from said liquid flow bore are visible as they passalong the exterior surface of the neck portion and onto said brush, pad,or the like, a capillary section in said flow bore, and a screw capthrough which said neck portion extends, said screw cap being capable ofmating with a screw thread on the neck of the squeeze bottle to clampsaid flange against said neck.

The capillary section is of such size as to prevent flow therethroughunless pressure is applied to the liquid in the bottle by squeezing.

The flow bore leading to the upstream side of the capillary preferablycontains a pad of filter material.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section through the top of a squeeze bottle top withthe dispenser unit secured thereto; and

FIG. 2 is a view of the dispenser when inclined downwardly and in use.

As illustrated the dispenser unit comprises a neck portion 1 having aflange 2 at its lower end that is of a size suitable to rest upon theneck 3 of a squeeze bottle 4.

The neck portion 1 is formed with a recess or blind bore 5 in which ishoused a brush head 6 extending from the bore.

Extending up one side of the neck portion 1 is a side formation 7 formedat its lower end with a flow bore 8, the bore 8 leading to a capillarysection 9 at the upper end of the side formation. The capillary section9 terminates at a point that is spaced from the brush head 6 and leadsonto the side surface of the neck portion 1.

A screw cap 10 mates with the screw-threaded top 3 of the squeeze bottle4 and serves to clamp the flange 2 against the mouth of the bottle.

Housed in the flow bore 8 is a filter pad 11.

FIG. 2 illustrates how, when the squeeze bottle is tilted downwardly inuse and the bottle is squeezed, a droplet of liquid 12 can be forced toemerge from the outlet end of the capillary section 9 to flow down thesurface of the neck portion 1 and onto the brush head 6.

The squeezable bottle 4 is preferably fitted with a removable plug thatseals the neck 3 until such time as the bottle has been sold, the plugbeing removed before the bottle is ready for use.

A dispenser unit according to the present invention enables the dropletsemerging from the capillary section 9 to be counted visually before theymerge with the brush head 6 and the user is thus able to regulate to afine degree the volume of liquid applied to the brush head 6.

The dispenser unit, moreover, is so designed that it can be made fromsynthetic plastics, the capillary section 9 being capable, if necessary,of being formed after the moulding of the remainder of the unit.

It will be appreciated that the particular embodiment described iscapable of many modifications as may fall within the scope of theappended claims. Thus, for example, the brush element 6 may be replacedby a pad of felt or foamed plastic. It is also possible, for the neckportion 1 to be formed with a groove leading from the outlet of thecapillary 9 to the brush head 6 to guide the droplets 12 along thedesired flow path.

What I claim is:

1. A dispenser unit for use with squeeze bottles, the unit comprising aneck portion, a recess in one end of said neck portion in which ishoused an applicator means extending from said recess, a liquid flowbore having a capillary section which insures that uniform. size dropspass through said bore, said liquid flow bore having an outlet on thesurface of said neck portion, said outlet being located at a pointspaced from said one end of said neck portion and said applicator meansby a distance in excess of the length of one uniform drop, such thatwhen the bottle is squeezed, droplets of liquid emerging from saidliquid flow bore are visible and must pass along the exterior surface ofthe neck portion before reaching the aforesaid end and passing onto saidapplicator means.

2. A dispenser unit for use with a squeeze bottle having a threadedneck, the unit comprising a neck portion having at one end thereof aflanged base adapted to rest upon the neck of the squeeze bottle, arecess in the other end of said neck portion in which is housed anapplicator means extending from said recess, a liquid flow bore having acapillary section which insures that uniform size drops pass throughsaid bore leading from the flanged end of the neck portion to a point onthe exterior surface of the neck portion spaced from said other end ofsaid neck portion and said applicator means by a distance in excess ofthe length of one uniform drop, such that when the bottle is squeezed,droplets of liquid emerging from said liquid flow bore are visible andmust pass along the exterior surface of the neck portion before reachingsaid other end and passing onto said applicator means, and a screw capthrough which said neck portion extends, said screw cap being capable ofmating with threads on the neck of a squeeze bottle to clamp said flangeagainst said neck.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 506,156 10/93Chase 15541 X 951,991 3/10 Hase 15541 1,846,711 2/32 Evensen 15--600 X2,104,651 1/38 Hoffman 15541 2,149,711 3/39 Stock 15-601 2,235,519 3/41Hausknecht. 2,743,042 4/56 Burgin 222-212 X 2,876,782 3/59 Hudgens222211 X 2,909,798 10/59 Marion 15541 3,027,591 4/62 Petersen 155 413,090,070 5/63 Simons 222215 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

1. A DISPENSER UNIT FOR USE WITH SQUEEZE BOTTLES, THE UNIT COMPRISING ANECK PORTION, A RECESS IN ONE END OF SAID NECK PORTION IN WHICH ISHOUSED AN APPLICATOR MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID RECESS, A LIQUID FLOWBORE HAVING A CAPILLARY SECTION WHICH INSURES THAT UNIFORM SIZE DROPSPASS THROUGH SAID BORE, SAID LIQUID FLOW BORE HAVING AN OUTLET ON THESURFACE OF SAID NECK PORTION, SAID OUTLET BEING LOCATED AT A POINTSPACED FROM SAID ONE END OF SAID NECK PORTION AND SAID APPLICATOR MEANSBY A DISTANCE IN EXCESS OF THE LENGTH OF ONE UNIFORM DROP, SUCH THATWHEN THE BOTTLE IS SQUEEZED, DROPLETS OF LIQUID EMERGING FROM SAIDLIQUID FLOW BORE ARE VISIBLE AND MUST PASS ALONG THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OFTHE NECK PORTION BEFORE REACHING THE AFORESAID END AND PASSING ONTO SAIDAPPLICATOR MEANS.